I worked for a county office before retiring last year, and it's unfortunately common for workers not to explain the dual process. This happens because county workers handle eligibility and benefits, but EBT card issues are managed by a separate contracted company. One thing I always told my clients: when you file a theft claim, ask for "expedited processing" specifically using those words, and cite "hardship due to household with children." This terminology triggers specific protocols that can speed up your claim. Also, submit a written statement to your worker (email works) stating that you were not properly informed of the complete process for reporting EBT theft. This creates a record that may help if there are delays in processing your claim.

UPDATE: I called the EBT fraud line this morning using all the advice from this thread. Got a much nicer person who helped me file the claim properly. They gave me a claim number starting with CA-2530. Called my worker right after and gave her the number. She said they can issue emergency benefits for my kids within 3 business days while the full claim is processed! THANK YOU everyone for your help! I was ready to give up yesterday.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I ALWAYS WITHDRAW ALL MY BENEFITS AS SOON AS THEY HIT MY ACCOUNT!!!!! The system doesn't protect us AT ALL. I take out all my cash benefits on the 1st and I use my CalFresh benefits to buy grocery store gift cards for later in the month. They can't steal what's not on the card!!!! The county worker told me not to do this but it's the ONLY way to be safe. They don't care about us!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to my county worker today! Filed the police report yesterday and submitted all the paperwork. They said they'll expedite my case because I have children in the household and should have the benefits replaced within 5 business days. In the meantime, we got emergency food from two local food banks. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this stressful time! Will keep you posted on how it all turns out.

Hey did anybody else notice that the benefit amounts went up in January? My regular CalFresh went from $349 to $379 for my household of 2 and nobody told me it was increasing! Just randomly got more money lol

Update: My Restaurant Meals Program benefits just loaded this morning! It was delayed by about 24 hours compared to usual. Thanks everyone for helping me understand what was going on. The county should really explain these things better instead of making us figure it out ourselves!

this happened to my neighbor and they got their benefits back in like 3 weeks. make sure u dont use the same pin as before when u get ur new card! those thieves sometimes hit the same person twice

Just to follow up on this thread with some important information: As of January 2025, California has enhanced protections for CalFresh recipients who experience benefit theft. The state now requires county offices to process theft claims within 7 business days. Additionally, if you're experiencing a food emergency while waiting, you can request an immediate emergency allotment (typically 25% of your monthly benefit) to help bridge the gap. Also, there's a new option to freeze/unfreeze your EBT card through the BenefitsCal app or website, which can help prevent unauthorized transactions when you're not actively using your card. If you believe your information was compromised at a specific retailer, include that in your police report as it helps with the broader investigation into skimming rings.

Adding more people to ur household is ussually good for CalFresh benefits but sometimes it can mess things up if those people have income. My cousin added her boyfriend to her case and her benefits went DOWN even tho they had another mouth to feed!! Make sure u understand how the income is gonna affect ur benefits before u make any changes!!!

One more thing to consider - when you report this change, you'll need to provide verification documents. Typically for adding household members, you'll need: 1) Identification for the new members, 2) Proof of residence (showing they live with you), 3) Income verification for your sister-in-law, and 4) Citizenship/immigration status documentation. Having these ready when you submit your SAR7 will prevent delays in processing the change.